1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an improvement of a device for lifting up and down window glass for a vehicle. More particularly, this invention is concerned with a device for lifting up and down the window glass for the vehicle which is excellent in terms of serviceability and safety.
2. Background Art
One of the window lifting devices which has been known is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid Open No. 51-132533 (132533/1976).
In this proposal, the window glass is lifted up and down all the way at the touch of a switch. As a one-touch switch is operated, a window drive motor rotates for a predetermined period of time, thereby lifting the window glass up and down. In an apparatus having another construction, on the other hand, the operation switch is directly connected to the window drive motor and the window is lifted up and down by so-called manual operation by keeping the operation switch pushed for a predetermined period of time.
As shown in FIG. 1, the switch 100 of the conventional type is disposed in an arm rest section 103 together with other switches, e.g., a door lock switch 101 for the driver side and a door switch 102 for the other side. On the operation plate of the switch 100, lifting directions are indicated by characters such as "UP" and "DOWN".
The above-mentioned conventional devices have the following drawbacks.
The device which lifts up and down the window glass by manipulating the one-touch switch is convenient when the driver receives a ticket and pays a toll at the entrance and the exit of a toll road although unpleasantness is unavoidable during cold weather or when the weather is bad since the window glass is fully opened. Under such a circumstance, it is desired that the driver can stop the window glass at a position he wants so that he may receive the toll ticket while the window is opened only part way.
The apparatus which opens the window glass by manual operation of the switch overcomes the problem the former apparatus has, i.e., it can stop the window glass at any position the driver or other passengers want. However, the switch manipulator on the car has to keep pressing the switch until the window glass reaches a position he wants. Accordingly, as for the driver, he tends to pay less attention to driving since part of his attention goes to the window. Therefore, both apparatuses have opposite shortcomings and advantages.
Furthermore, the switch 100 of the former case as illustrated in FIG. 1 is generally disposed within the arm rest portion 103 together with other switches such as a door lock switch 101 for the driver side or a door switch 102 for the other side. Thus, the driver might touch another switch as he gropes for the window switch, and even if the moving directions of the window glass are indicated by words such as "UP" and "DOWN", the moving direction of the switch 100 is not identical to the moving direction of the window glass, so that operation of such a switch is not always easy. In addition, when a young child plays on the arm rest 103 with his head out of the car, he might have his neck squeezed by stepping on the switch 100.
Moreover, when a part of someone's body is caught in the window, the danger will not be eliminated by merely stopping the reversible motor for the window at that situation.